Executive control deficits in substance-dependent individuals: A comparison of alcohol, cocaine, and methamphetamine and of men and women

Abstract

Substance dependence is associated with executive function deficits, but the nature of these executive defects and the effect that different drugs and sex have on these defects has not been fully clarified. Therefore, we compared the performance of alcohol-(n = 33; 18 women), cocaine-(n = 27; 14 women), and methamphetamine-dependent individuals (n = 38; 25 women) with sex-matched healthy comparisons (n = 36; 17 women) on complex decision-making as measured with the Iowa Gambling Task, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and response inhibition. Cocaine-and methamphetamine-dependent individuals were impaired on complex decision-making, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, but not on response inhibition. The deficits in working memory and cognitive flexibility were milder than the decision-making deficits and did not change as a function of memory load or task switching. Interestingly, decision-making was significantly more impaired in women addicted to cocaine or methamphetamine than men addicted to these drugs. Together, these findings suggest that drug of choice and sex have different effects on executive functioning, which, if replicated, may help tailor intervention.

Interindividual differences in cognitive flexibility: Influence of gray-matter volume, functional connectivity and trait impulsivity

“…In fact, it has been argued that most of the variance of the relationship found between Extraversion and cognitive performance can be explained by impulsivity (Dickman 1993). In line with this view, virtually all disorders associated with high impulsivity go along with executive deficits (Gonzalez-Gadea et al 2013;Haaland and Landro 2009;Verdejo-Garcia and Perez-Garcia 2007;Albein-Urios et al 2012;van der Plas et al 2009;Cunha et al 2010). Finally, according to Dickman (1993), high-and low-impulsive individuals differ in their ability of shifting attention.…”

Assessment of inhibitory control in crack and/or cocaine users: a systematic review

“…40,43,51 One of these studies compared inhibition performance in samples of users of different PS (alcohol, cocaine and/or crack, methamphetamine and controls) and did not detect differences between the groups in terms of inhibition performance. 40 However, the CU group exhibited impairments in all of the other cognitive functions assessed (decision making, working, and cognitive flexibility). It is also important to point out that only one measure of inhibition was used and that when variables such as age and educational level of participants were controlled, differences previously detected lost their significance.…”

Right Ventromedial and Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortices Mediate Adaptive Decisions under Ambiguity by Integrating Choice Utility and Outcome Evaluation

“…Based on associations of aberrant IGT performance and impulsive behavior (Cavedini et al, 2002;Toplak et al, 2005;Geurts et al, 2006;Malloy-Diniz et al, 2007;Verdejo-Garcia et al, 2007;van der Plas et al, 2008), not least in patients with vmPFC lesions (Bechara et al, 1994(Bechara et al, , 1998(Bechara et al, , 2000a, and previous fMRI demonstrations of vmPFC involvement in performance of the task (Fukui et al, 2005;Lawrence et al, 2009), we hypothesized an association between vmPFC activation and individual differences in levels of self-reported trait cognitive impulsivity and selfcontrol, as measured with the nonplanning subscale of the BIS-11 (BIS-11NP). To test this hypothesis, we extracted the standardized BOLD response values [sum of squares (SSQ) ratios] of activation in the vmPFC region identified in the conjunction analysis (Table 1) from the group maps of the choice and out- A, across all trials; B, for areas sensitive to the level of EV of the trial, when EV was positive (positive expectancy); C, for areas sensitive to the EV of the trial when EV was negative (negative expectancy).…”